A Study in WinterChristmas Drabbles
by AGreatAndTerribleBeing
Summary: A bit late, but I wrote some wintery/Christmas drabbles of varying length for my two Secret Santas on Tumblr this year. It also contains Sabriel, but I can only tag two characters.
1. Tradition

Cas was staring up at the strange plant hanging above his head with a quizzical look. Gabriel had put it up the day before, muttering something about not hogging all of it for his and Sam's bedroom. Hearing Dean walk into the room behind him, he asked, "Dean. What is this plant here for?"

Dean looked up, and a tinge of red colored his face.

"It's mistletoe, Cas," he replied, shoving his hands in his pockets and scuffing a foot against the floor.

Well, that didn't explain much, and Cas only became more confused by the reaction it seemed to be having on Dean.

"What is it there for?" Cas asked.

Dean rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, glancing up at Cas through his eyelashes.

"Holiday tradition," he muttered. "You're supposed to kiss someone when you stand under it."

Cas took a moment to process the explanation, and then he smiled. He reached out for Dean, pulling him closer, and kissing him soundly on the lips. He might not understand what the purpose was, but he decided it was definitely a tradition he wasn't going to break.


	2. Apology

Sam had been in a bad mood, and Gabriel wasn't helping by being in a particularly bright (annoying, Sam thought) one. All Sam wanted was a bit of peace and quiet, and the archangel kept popping up wherever he was, asking him random questions and bothering him. Sam kept brushing him off with half-assed answers, hoping Gabriel would get it and leave him be.

He didn't.

At one point, Gabriel grabbed Sam's hand, pleading for the hunter to go out into the snow with him, and Sam finally snapped.

"Gabriel, can you just go away and leave me the hell alone?"

Gabriel's eyes widened, and he dropped Sam's hand. He looked so hurt in that instant that Sam wanted to apologize immediately, but Gabriel muttered, "See if I ever try to cheer you up again," before he was gone with a rustle of wings.

Sam rubbed his temples in frustration, but he didn't see Gabriel again until that night in their bed. Gabriel turned his back to Sam, not letting Sam hold him as he slept. He awoke the next morning, feeling Sam's absence from the bed immediately. He turned over to see a bag of Hershey's kisses and some candy canes laying on Sam's pillow, with the apologetic looking hunter sitting in the chair in the corner.

"I'm sorry, Gabe, I shouldn't have been such a jerk yesterday," he said quietly.

Gabriel merely got off the bed, walking over to sit in Sam's lap as he smiled.

"It's alright. You can make it up to me by going out in the snow with me today."


	3. Present

It was their first Christmas together, and Dean was helping Cas wrap presents.

Or rather, he was trying to help and failing rather miserably.

The whole process was ending in tape stuck to both hunter and angel, crumpled paper littering the floor, and jubilant laughter. Somehow a bow ended up in Cas' hair, and Dean smiled at the addition, reaching out a hand to press the bow more firmly into the dark mess.

"Perfect," he murmured, wrapping his arms around the angel's waist. Cas just cocked his head questioningly.

Dean rested his forehead on Cas'.

"You're my present this year."


	4. Time For Lovers

People always say that springtime is the time for lovers, but for the Winchesters and their angels, winter seemed to be a great season too. It wasn't always a stated fact. It was their actions. It was the mug of hot chocolate Cas had waiting for Dean after he'd been out scraping ice off the Impala. It was the extra candy cane Sam always seemed to have for Gabriel, indulging the archangel's sweettooth without any prompting. It was the mistletoe Gabe made grow everywhere when Sam was having a bad day, just so he had an unspoken excuse to kiss him better. It was two hands joined when Dean took Cas ice skating for the first time.

Yes, springtime may be when love is said to blossom, but winter, with it's harsh, biting sting, was turning out to be a wonderful time of year for the two pairs of lovers.


	5. Wintery Confession

Every time Cas looked at Dean, he felt something in his chest flutter.

The sensation had been getting stronger and stronger these past few weeks, and he was utterly perplexed as to what exactly it was. He'd gone to Gabriel for help, thinking something might be wrong with his vessel, but the older archangel just laughed and patted him on the back.

"It's how I feel when I look at Sam," he'd replied.

Castiel hadn't understood what he'd meant at first, because he knew Gabriel was in love with Sam, and there was no way that Cas was in- oh. OH. His eyes widened, and Gabe had smiled at him.

"You're in love, kiddo. Now, when are you going to tell him?"

Cas had merely blushed a deep shade of red, and excused himself from the conversation, leaving a giggling Gabriel behind.

It turned out that it would happen a few days later, as Cas was staring out a window at the falling snow. He was so deep in thought that he didn't even hear Dean step into place beside him until the hunter murmured, "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Cas jumped a bit, turning his head towards Dean.

_Not as beautiful as you_, he wanted to say.

"Yeah, it is," is what came out instead.

He fiddled nervously with his hands, trying not to think of how close Dean was.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked him with a slight frown.

Castiel swallowed, peering up at the hunter through his eyelashes, feeling his vessel's heart beat rapidly in his chest. "Dean, I..." he paused, licking his lips.

"I love you."

As soon as Cas said the words, he wanted to take them back. He widened his eyes a bit in fear, in shock over having actually said the words out loud. Dean did nothing but blink for a few moments, and by the time he'd taken a step forward, the angel disappeared in a rush of wings.

"Cas!" Dean called, looking around him. "Dammit!"

Dean spent a vast majority of the rest of the day searching for Cas, but when an angel wants to hide, well, there's no finding him. Later that evening he slumped down in a chair in the living room, barely taking heed of Sam and Gabe snuggled up together on the couch. He must've had a fierce expression on his face, because Sam gave him a look and said, "Dude. What's up with you?"

Gabriel spared the older Winchester a glance. "Cas finally decide to tell you then? And it didn't go too well by the looks of it..."

Dean glared.

"He just mojo'd himself away before I could say anything." He gave a frustrated sigh. "I just want him to come back, been looking for him all day."

Sam grinned at that, and Gabriel asked, "Why?", knowing full well what the answer would be.

Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, Dean looked at the carpet. "Wanna tell him I love him too," he mumbled.

And suddenly, there was another flutter of wings, and Cas was standing in front of Dean, looking adorably wide-eyed with hope.

"Do you mean that?" he asked.

Dean stared up for a moment before smiling, reaching out to grab Cas' hands. "Of course I mean it."

He pulled Cas down so the angel was forced to straddle him, wrapping his arms around the angel's waist, and beaming up at him.

"I love you too, Cas."

Gabriel and Sam exchanged a private look, one that conveyed the sense of 'finally', but Cas and Dean were too distracted to notice, each lost in the feel of the other's lips.


	6. The First Real Christmas in a While

Dean woke up on Christmas with a feeling that everything was right with the world. He was the first one up, and he padded downstairs quietly, staring at all the decorations with a small smile. The ornaments on the top of the tree were a bit askew from where Gabriel had thought it would be funny to act as the tree topper, and could only be lured down when Sam promised him candy and kisses.

He stood at the bottom of the stairs when he suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist, and he relaxed comfortably into the embrace.

"Merry Christmas, Dean," Cas said softly, voice low and rough as ever.

Dean would never admit it, but in that moment he felt like he could cry. How long had it been since he had had a proper Christmas? He never thought he'd be able to have one again, and yet here he was: the perfect holiday, complete with family and the man he absolutely adored, the man he was in love with.

He turned in Cas' embrace, hand cupping Cas' face as he kissed him gently. Yes, everything was indeed right with the world, he thought. At least for today.

"Merry Christmas, Cas."


End file.
